Pribumi dominates Pakatan Harapan, says Liow

PETALING JAYA: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi) led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has overtaken the other parties in Pakatan Harapan despite being the last to enter the coalition," said Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

"From the allocation of Pakatan’s electoral seats, it is clear that the Dr Mahathir-led Pribumi has overtaken the rest to lead the coalition," the Transport Minister said in a statement on Monday.

Liow said Pribumi managed to get the most seats while DAP was only given 35.

"This points to the fact that DAP is being sidelined without any power," he said.

Liow said DAP leader Lim Kit Siang and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng have "changed tremendously" over the last 10 years.

"They have become very forgetful that the very person whom they called a tyrant, and accused of inflicting permanent damage to the Malaysian democratic system, Tun Dr Mahathir, has now become their saviour," he said.

He added that the alliance between DAP and Dr Mahathir was a betrayal towards the Chinese community who had entrusted DAP during the last two general elections.

"DAP should not take the Chinese for granted by continuing to hijack public opinion and pretending to fight for democracy but acts the opposite way," he said.

Liow said if DAP could compromise on the nation’s secular system, rebrand PAS, and cooperate with Pribumi, then the party was capable of compromising anything.

On Sunday (Jan 7), at the Pakatan convention, the coalition unanimously settled on Dr Mahathir as the candidate for prime minister and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as his deputy should they make it to Putrajaya.

The decision was set in an agreement of cooperation, which was signed by Dr Mahathir, Dr Wan Azizah as PKR president, Pribumi president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin, DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Mohamad Sabu.

Among others, the agreement stipulated that a royal pardon would be obtained for Anwar once Pakatan wrested Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional and be made prime minister.